Sunday, November 24, 2013

Blast from the Past: Over the River and Through the Woods. . .Thanksgiving Commercials!

Okay, this is an experiment that might just peter out before I can make a full-length post. I'm going to try to find some good ol' vintage Thanksgiving-themed commercials. The product is unimportant, and can range from Stovetop Stuffing to holiday specials or "very special episodes" of old TV shows. My goal is just to find 6-12 Thanksgivingy nostalgic nuggets for you to peruse. Let's see what happens!

1. Stovetop Stuffing (1980) - This one was obvious, and the first thing I thought of. It's an ongoing campaign running at least back to the 1970s: stuffing or potatoes? I don't think I've ever had a Thanksgiving without both! Still, this is a bit of a fail, because I couldn't find a vintage one specifically about Thanksgiving. Close, but no tom turkey. Moving on. . .2. Butterball Turkey (1974) - This is better! Though Melissa Gilbert only mentions a "holiday," we're getting closer.

3. Cool Whip (1969) - Finally, we're spot-on for the Thanksgiving holiday, and surely this one sparks some nostalgic memories for people out there old enough to remember!

4. Durkee French-fried Onions (1993) - Another one that is specifically Thanksgiving, and since we're four-clips deep, this topic is at least half-way viable! And I love these things, straight out of the bag. Nom-nom-nom.

5. MetLife Insurance (1989) - Charlie Brown and the Peanuts characters had a holiday special), and they also were hucksters for MetLife for many years (maybe still?).

6. Quaker Oats (1980s) - Wilford Brimley brings his folksy charm to oats. . .which really have little to do with Thanksgiving (or diabetes), other than that this is a Thanksgiving-themed ad!

7. Alka-Seltzer (1970s) - This one is for after Thanksgiving! I can't believe I at the whole thing!

And that will have to do it, because though this search might turn up some more fun memories, YouTube's search feature is terrible at sorting this subject out for some reason. Anyway, here's to a short work week (unless you're unlucky enough to work for a greedy retailer), and a very happy Thanksgiving!